BBS seen leading race for StanChart unit sale

Both BBS Bank and SCBB have dismissed the reports, describing them as “market speculation” and “rumours”. However, BusinessWeek is informed that BBS Bank has approached the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF) for funding to support a bid for the SCBB unit. “The race for the deal has reached a critical point and BBS is in the lead,” an authoritative market insider told BusinessWeek. “The pension fund is apparently considering the request to fund BBS’ bid, but no decisions have been made.” The BPOPF was not available for comment this week on the matter.

For BBS Bank, snapping up SCBB’s unit would be a successful manoeuvre, catapulting the young bank into the ranks of the country’s Big Four in banking. The Big Four, comprising First National Bank Botswana, Absa Bank Botswana, SCBB, and Stanbic Bank, have a considerable hold on the local market. As at December 2024, the Big Four accounted for 74.1%, 73.9% and 71.3% of total assets, deposits, and loans and advances, respectively, with the figures largely remaining the same over prior years. BBS Bank had total assets of P5.5 billion as at June 30, 2025, a growth of 3.3 percent from the previous corresponding period. By comparison, the country’s biggest bank, FNBB, had assets of P34.8 billion as at June 2025, down by about five percent from June 2024.